SKY Girls, a girl-focused empowerment movement has launched in Nigeria with a community event hosted by media girls, Alex Unusual and Amiola Aguda. The event which was held at Ndubisi Kanu park, Alausa, had a few dignitaries in attendance including the Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs FolashadeAdefisayo.
The launch gave SKY Girls Nigeria the opportunity to share with teenage girls its core messaging “Be true to yourself”. This messaging is anchored on the susceptibility of teenage girls to bow to peer pressure. Girls join the movement by taking the SKY pledge which encourages a commitment by the girls to be “true to themselves” and choose what they do and doesn’t want in their lives.
Speaking about SKY Girls’ vision, Adenike Odutola, General Manager Operations, 7even Interactive for SKY Girls, explained that the girl-focused movement is fuelled by its desire to reduce the worrying uptake of tobacco amongst adolescent girls by reaching girls through multiple online and offline channels, from magazines, social media, radio, TV shows, feature-length films, school clubs and community events. Within this platform and through role models, SKY integrates tobacco messaging in such a way as to make not smoking the aspirational choice.
In addition, SKY Nigeria will seek to increase the financial inclusion of teenage girls and young women. This will include messaging around financial decision-making, education and knowledge, to improve the girls’ and their families’ overall future life skills.
“What SKY Girls is really offering Nigerian teen girls is a community of like-minded youngsters who are becoming more confident in making positive and healthy life choices. We have adopted a for-girls-by-girls model which amplifies girls’ own voices and provides peer-to-peer support. With this model, they get to see that they are not alone and that their voices matter. For many of them, this will be the start of developing their future ambitions, but it will most certainly be a journey to finding and loving themselves for who they really are”, said Odutola.
The young ladies were treated to a wide and engaging variety of interactive activities including; an electrifying musical performance by Crayon, Ijolaba-laba crooner, photo opportunities, art making, face painting, karaoke, dance, a writing competition and short talks encouraging the girls to stay away from bullying, gossiping and smoking.
While taking the pledge, Alex Unusual charged the attendees to believe in themselves as they actively follow their dreams notwithstanding the challenges they might encounter along the way due to peer pressure.
“Your strongest weapon is your youth. You can practically be whatever you desire because time is in your hands and the future belongs to you. Don’t give anyone the power to make you uncomfortable with who you are. You are beautiful, strong and capable,” Alex said to the girls.
The SKY Girls movement which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was first launched in 2014 in Botswana and is now also active in Ghana, Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, and Zambia.
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